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Aramor
Aramor is well known in central Merethyl and the civilizations involved in the River Wars. The town is associated with the Bridge of Aramor, the site of a battle between the forces of the Orcs of Ushat and the militia of Aramor and the surronding towns. The bridge has become a symbol of steadfastness in the face of danger or fear, it has been remade in stone and still stands to the present. The Battle During the 1st crusade of the River Wars during the 3rd Century, the armies of Ushat marched to the Ruvalk River and began attacking the townspeople there. Once they crossed the Ruvalk, they continued their march north alongside the south fork of the Falls River. Being on the west side of the river, the horde aimed to cross into the Highlands by crossing the Falls River. After the destruction of Drauñe, a town southeast of Aramor, word reached the Suzerian or Aramor, Corlik Ciyobet, of the horde’s trajectory. The people had three days at most to prepare. Corlik began to make preparations for conflict, realizing that traveling with flocks, supplies, and families would surely only get them so far before the Orc armies overtook them. Yet, Corlik’s 5 sons offered a different plan. Corlik, along with their mother, Jes, and their sister, Fainlóna, would lead the escape of the people while the young men rode to the nearest 3 towns and rallied their militia to give all the people of the area the longest time possible to escape to Ñueri, a large city up in the Highlands. With this plan they set to work. The youngest 3 brothers rode each to the nearest 3 towns while the 2 eldest brothers prepared the local milita and distributed food, armor, and weapons. They also gathered any sharp farming equipment. They instructed the militia to chop large holes in the floor of the bridge making only a winding thin path along the bridge itself further limiting movement of the horde for the first 200 feet of the 235 foot bridge. Also they cut many smaller holes for traps. Others got to work gathering branches from the woods on the east side of the river (the west side had few, scattered trees) and laid them along the entirety bridge. On the third day at dawn the horde approached the bridge. The 5 Ciyobet brothers stood with a force of 287 men and women against the Ushat army of well over 9,000. As the Orcs reached the bridge, they saw the small group across the river and advanced feverishly across the bridge. Within the first 20 feet orcs began to shriek in pain as farm equipment, sharpened and set as traps, pointed up out of the smaller holes. Others fell 1- or 2-at-a-time through the larger holes, many of which were hidden by the branches. The Orcs at the front began to slow, but the whole horde advancing pushed from behind and they were forced to continue or be trampled. Fire arrows rained down upon the Orcs in an attempt to light the branches ablaze. While some fires did result, the advancing troops were so thick that often the arrows fell only on metal and flesh. The Militia held, firing as many arrows as time would allow before advancing slightly onto the bridge as an attempt to bottle-neck the horde. The battle lasted until well past nightfall, with the tight quarters making for slow advancement on either side. Eventually the Orc horde overcame the militia, killing every last one of the brave men and women. The Orc horde suffered great losses, some casualty reports estimating up to 1400. The 5 Ciyobet Brothers are honored every year in a Ciyobetan festival called Defender’s Feast on the anniversary of the battle, (the second week of the month Rolen) There is also a statue of them in the town center at Aramor and over the Imperial Gates of Hao Taesi.